Members of the Alabama House of Representatives' County and Municipal Government Committee need to take to heart those words from their committee chairman when they vote on a bill today to help Jefferson County dig itself out of its financial hole. From a statewide perspective, the bill is needed to protect the state and other public bodies from collateral damage should Jefferson County get no help and can't resolve its fiscal problems.

The bill, SB 567, known as the Alabama Financially Distressed Counties Act, would allow Jefferson County (or any county in bankruptcy) to impose an occupational tax or a sales tax. Sponsored by Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills, the bill was approved by the Senate last week and begins its House journey today. If passed out of committee, it could be voted on by the entire House as early as Wednesday.

That's important. After today, there are only three meeting days left in this legislative session. With so few days remaining, Waggoner's bill is the only Jefferson County tax bill with any real shot of passing.

"Obviously, Jefferson County has to get its financial house in order because it will lead to lots of problems .¤.¤. and it's going to impact the whole state," said Rep. Steve McMillan, R-Gulf Shores, the House committee's chairman. "The county and the whole state are entitled to have every opportunity to get this thing settled."

Yes, McMillan lives in Gulf Shores, far from Jefferson County. Yet, he grasps how important this is to both the county and the state. Failure, in his mind, is not an option.

Yet, it's discouraging to hear the comments of some House members who do represent Jefferson County and seem to think failure is an option.

"There will be fierce opposition," said Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin, R-Indians Springs, whose district includes southern parts of Jefferson County. "It's an income tax. Most people want some accountability when you say, 'Give me more of your money.'"

Then there's Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham. "It will tax people to death, and we are going to have a guaranteed sewer hike at some point," Rogers said. "I don't like sales taxes on people. Sales taxes are regressive, and they hurt the poor."

Answering the criticisms of those two lawmakers is easy.

As far as McClurkin's call for accountability, county commissioners have cut the county's budget to the bone -- by more than $100 million over the past year. Hundreds of county workers have been laid off, including 75 last week. Plus, the bill calls for a five-member advisory panel appointed by state officials to monitor county spending.

And to Rogers' point about sales taxes being regressive, we agree. But the county won't be able to raise sales taxes until after the county's school bond debt is paid off, which should take another 10 to 15 years. That leaves the occupational tax as the only option for the county.

The occupational tax is limited in the bill to 0.5 percent -- the same tax rate that had been collected in Jefferson County for years before meddling by legislators led to courts striking down the tax. Lawmakers passed a bill in 1999 repealing the law after failing in attempts to direct millions of dollars from the tax to their pork projects.

That fact alone should be motivation for lawmakers to want to redeem themselves by authorizing a replacement tax.

If that isn't enough, they should consider the fallout from their failure to act. Jefferson County will have to make even deeper cuts and will see its uphill climb out of bankruptcy even more of a slog. And governmental agencies large and small will see their borrowing costs up go as the bond market becomes more leery of a state whose Legislature does nothing to help a county it put in distress.

The House committee and the full House need to approve Waggoner's bill.